Sermon Resources

June 14 - Ruth 2

Reflection Questions

• Where have you been tempted to believe, like Naomi, that God’s hesed love has stopped showing up in your life?
  • Can you identify any “small ephahs of barley”—small evidences of God's faithfulness—that may have restored hope when you least expected it?

• Who are the vulnerable, overlooked, or marginalized people in your sphere of influence?
  • How might God be inviting you to notice them rather than pass them by?

• Boaz moved beyond the letter of the law to embrace its spirit.
  • In what areas of your life do you tend to ask, "What's the minimum required of me?" rather than, "How can I love generously?"

• Ruth took courageous risks to care for Naomi.
  • What sacrifices might hesed love require of you right now for the good of someone else?

• Boaz used his position and influence to create safety for Ruth.
  • Where has God given you influence, privilege, resources, or authority that you could use to protect or advocate for others?

• Boaz invited Ruth from the margins to the table.
  • Who might God be calling you to intentionally welcome, include, or befriend this week?

• The sermon emphasized that God's hesed is often experienced through people.
  • Who has embodied God's faithful love to you during difficult seasons? How did their actions reveal God's character?

• Naomi's perspective shifted from bitterness to hope.
  • Is there an area of disappointment or grief where God may be inviting you to reconsider the possibility that He has not abandoned you?

• "I have been blessed to be a blessing."
  • What practical step can you take this week to tangibly demonstrate God's hesed love to someone else?

Supporting Scriptures for Further Study

The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:1–23 – Ruth gleans in Boaz's field and experiences his hesed.
Ruth 1:8–9 – Naomi blesses her daughters-in-law with the Lord's hesed.
Ruth 1:16–17 – Ruth's covenant commitment to Naomi.
Ruth 2:20 – Naomi recognizes that God's hesed has not ceased.

Laws Concerning the Poor and Vulnerable
Leviticus 19:9–10 – Leave gleanings for the poor and foreigners.
Deuteronomy 24:19–21 – Care for foreigners, widows, and the fatherless through gleaning.
Leviticus 25:35–38 – Support those who become poor among you.
Leviticus 25:8–17 – The Year of Jubilee and restoration of family inheritance.

Loving Others Through Hesed
Leviticus 19:18 – "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Leviticus 19:33–34 – Love the foreigner as yourself.
James 1:27 – True religion cares for widows and orphans.
Acts 2:42–47 – The early church sharing generously with those in need.
Matthew 5:14–16 – "You are the light of the world."
Luke 6:27–28 – Love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you.

 

June 7 - Ruth 1

Reflection Questions

Understanding the Passage

• How does understanding the historical context of famine, widowhood, and life as a foreigner deepen your appreciation of Ruth 1?
• Naomi repeatedly says that God has turned against her. Do you think Naomi was right? Why or why not?
• The sermon described hesed as faithful, covenant love that refuses to give up. Where do you see examples of hesed love in this chapter?
• How is Ruth's commitment to Naomi similar to the kind of love Jesus calls His followers to demonstrate?

Suffering, Grief, and Faith

• Naomi is brutally honest about her pain and disappointment with God. What can Christians learn from her example?
• The sermon suggested that Naomi's pain distorted how she viewed God and her circumstances. How can suffering sometimes affect our perspective?
• How can we distinguish between our feelings about God and what is actually true about God?

Ruth's Conversion and Faith

• Ruth chooses to follow Yahweh despite seeing Naomi's suffering. What makes her decision so remarkable?
• Why is it significant that God chose a former Moabite woman to become part of the family line of King David and Jesus?
• What does Ruth's inclusion in God's story teach us about God's grace and His heart for outsiders?

Personal Application

• Which person do you identify with most right now—Naomi, Ruth, or perhaps Orpah? Why?
• The sermon asked: "Where might my pain be blinding me to a gift of God?" How would you answer that question today?
• Is there someone in your life right now who needs a "Ruth"—someone willing to stay, listen, and support them?
• How can we maintain healthy boundaries while still carrying one another's burdens?